Children Of Males
by TributeChan
Summary: Arthur Kirkland and Francis Bonnefoy have moved to America to raise their two young children, Alfred and Matthew. However, with the challenges of loving the same gender is hard in this society, it is a hard thing to do so. Human names used. French is not my first language so I am sorry in advance for Francis. F.A.C.E family fanfiction :)
1. The Start Of It All

So, yeah, there are a few changes to the story, for any of those who have already read this. Chapters should be updates at the most, every two weeks. Hope you all enjoy this book! Chapter has not been edited.

* * *

The countries France and England have always had a past of hatred. They fought many wars against each other and it took a while for them both to be natural allies on the same side. Most of it came with some form of betrayal or a form of miscommunication, leading them to be once again, enemies. Times that they were close allies, were in both World Wars. That was mostly because England was a major power and France needed to get bailed out because, as history will repeat itself, Germans can get into France.

Arthur Kirkland was a seventeen year old British student on an exchange program for half of a school semester. A couple of weeks to learn the culture and to make some French friends, before being shipped back off to the rainy and cold Britain. His mother had pushed him going more than his father ever did. Of course his father would never push him to do anything extraordinary. He had older brothers that he would always be able to stand behind. It meant that anything that he did do that was amazing was hidden behind a shadow, but it also meant that getting into trouble was harder. Arthur was only semi-grateful for this, seeing as how he had things to hide from his father, after all.

The sun rose from over the clouds, and the sky changed from the dark color of black and midnight blue, to colors of fire. Orange, pink, and yellow, fierce colors at their core. Waking up farmers and business people in tiny shops with mere rays going through cracks in the shutters. The fierce colors soon made way to lighter ones. The harsh orange changed to blue, and the yellow faded away to make room for the sun. It seemed as though all that was left was the beautiful colors of pink that shredded the sky, and the pale blue color of a Thursday morning.

Arthur was the first to wake. His older brother, who was only older by a year or so, still laid sleeping. He was snoring and his mouth was opened, a small trail of drool on his pillow. They still had time before they had to be awake and venture out into the city. Dylan, his brother, was rarely actually awake before he. Early bird always caught the worm, his mother told him countless times. He would try to help his mother with breakfast or simply go outside for a break of fresh air before the rest of the world woke.

He went out to the window, smiling at the sight. It wasn't anything like the London Eye or Big Ben, but Paris was a decent city to say the least. Something pretty to look at but not good enough to stay forever. Just like the people of France themselves. They were pretty, of course, but they were not the type to honestly settle down quickly and make promises about love, which they deemed they knew so much about.

Thirty minutes later and the teacher went around knocking on the doors, telling everyone it was time to wake up and start the new day. Dylan snorted and shifted, his brows going together as his eyes opened. His hair was the most related to Arthur, only having a small tint of red unlike his other brothers. They had full heads of red hair that seemed a bit chaotic these days. Although they all shared the emerald tint to their irises.

"Come on Dylan. Time to wake up now," Arthur said. He walked over to his own drawer, pulling out a white button down shirt and a decent pair of black slacks. "Time to start the day."

Dylan whined like a child and rolled over. Arthur had to smile at that. "See, this is what you get when you stay up all night. Ms Church told us to go to sleep early. But what do you do? The exact opposite of what she said. What time did you go to bed?"

"Late," was all that Dylan said. It took him five minutes just to sit up, and another five minutes before he actually physically stood and proceeded to get ready for the day. Arthur clicked his tongue again and ran his fingers through his messy bush he called hair.

Another twenty five minutes later, both boys were with their groups and were downstairs, eating breakfast. You were always given two options. Have a traditional English breakfast, or have something more French-like. Arthur always chose to have his tea and toast, a bit of a mixture almost.

"Where are we going today?" Dylan asked.

"I believe that today is more of a roaming day," Arthur replied. "Just stay with your groups and explore the city and try not to get lost. Or something of that nature. I know Ms Church told us that we should bring our money, maps, and sunscreen for today. So I expect that we are walking around by ourselves."

Dylan snorted. "She has a lot of faith in us if she thinks we won't get lost."

"I am sure she has faith in a few of us. Others, like you for example, I highly doubt that she has much faith in you." Arthur smirked and took a sip of his tea.

Dylan scoffed and rolled his eyes, not impressed with his younger brothers comeback. He didn't really mind though. He was much too tired to deal with his little brother.

Breakfast was soon finished and the teacher gathered up the class again. Arthur was ready to go out and explore by himself. However, he would be forced to be in a group with his brother and another young man who looked almost bored on this trip. Probably another one who was forced to go by his parents or a lover's wishes.

Paris was lovely, but busy, on this day. It seemed like everyone had been picked to go outside today and walk. On more than one occasion one of the boys got lost for a split second. Not knowing where the other two were until they caught sight of them again. Paris was large and it was a fear of theirs to get lost and never see Britain again.

Around lunch time, the boys were trying to find a place to eat. One place that could speak English hopefully so they wouldn't look like total gits in front of a French person. Even if they couldn't find a place that had English words, they could always see if a server spoke English and take their chances on whatever item they pointed to. So far in their travels, they had good luck with not getting anything too bad, and were able to point out some key words to make sure one did not get a bad meal.

"Excuse me," Arthur said to a blond male server. "Do you happen to speak English? We are here on a school trip and we don't know much French."

The blond smiled. "Oui, I do." His accent was very thick, but it was understandable. Arthur let out a small sigh of relief that they finally found someone at least somewhat fluent. If he would ever return, _if, _he would have to learn more French. "Welcome, to House of Roses. Would you like a table inside, or out?"

"Outside, please." Dylan butted in. Arthur was just about to request one inside because of the awful heat, but Dylan beat him to the answer of course. Arthur huffed and nodded.

The blond nodded and showed them to an outside table. It had a nice umbrella to keep the sun off, so Arthur supposed it wasn't such a bad spot. Not to mention a gentle breeze was blowing. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to sit outside in the fresh air.

"What can I get you to drink?" He asked. Arthur glanced up to answer, and saw the French waiter staring at him with a smile. Arthur blushed a bit and muttered the answer, not very fond of people staring at him like that. He looked up one more time to see if he was still doing it, and the bloody was! Arthur almost has the right mind to tell him right there and there to stop staring, but he stopped himself. He couldn't do that. If he caught him again, he would ask privately for him to stop. "Alright. I shall get you that in just a moment." The Frenchman walked off to get the drinks.

"Arthur," Dylan said in a sing-song voice. "Seems like a certain Frenchman was trying to catch your eye."

Arthur rolled his eyes. He was hoping that he wasn't blushing anymore. It wouldn't end well if he was. "Please. He was not staring at me."  
"The blush on your cheeks would tell me otherwise."

Arthur blushed again. "Fuck off, will you Dylan? It was nothing. It was just a bloody Frenchman staring at me." He sighed. "I do have types, you know? Just because I like bloody men doesn't mean I want to fuck every single man I see."

Dylan held up his hands in a surrender motion and stayed silent until the drinks came back. Arthur was glad that he finally got his brother to shut up for once in his life. Arthur was the last one to order his food and pointed to the picture that seemed most delicious and least likely to make him sick and regret ever coming to this damned country. As he spoke, he noticed the server staring at him again! He would have to confront him this time. This just had to end with the constant staring with this googly eyes

Five minutes after he left, he stood and found the very man taking a smoking break. Arthur almost turned around when his stomach flipped and his mind screamed to leave the subject matter alone. He couldn't though. It was the principal that he felt uncomfortable when this man was staring at him as so. Not like the normal way a server was supposed to look with a smile on his face. It was uncomfortable and it needed to be stopped before it continued anymore.

"Excuse me," Arthur said. "I apologize for this, however, it seems as though you are staring at me whenever you come up to my table. I would like to ask you to please refrain from doing that. It makes me uncomfortable and I rather not have you do that again. Thank you very much and I hope you have a nice day."

The Frenchman took a drag of his cigarette, and was polite enough to blow it away from Arthur's face. "Aren't you supposed to stare at something beautiful?"

Arthur blushed again and managed to roll his eyes to hide it. "Please. That is the most cliche thing I have ever heard. Besides, I am not gay."

The Frenchman laughed at this and took another drag. "Please. I know gay when I see one. Besides, I overheard you speaking to your brother when I was bringing back your drinks. Am I not your type?"

Arthur's face flushed with embarrassment. 'Dammit, he heard!' His mind screamed. Arthur quickly cleared his throat and shook his head. "I apologize for that. My brother, Dylan, is hell when it comes to that. I had to say something or he would never get off my arse about it."

"So you do like me? Or at least, find me attractive?"

Arthur mentally groaned. What was it with these French people. Right when they learned they could date them, they rushed into it. That would never happen in London. Unless a person was drunk and had an available bathroom stall.

"I am from London. I don't even live in this country. I'll be gone in a couple of days anyways," Arthur quickly said, trying to get out of this conversation and back to the safety of his table.

"Then why not let you have the total French experience?" He questioned. "Come. Sneak away from whatever tour group you are in and join me for a real French meal."

Arthur quickly shook his head. "I would rather not," he said quickly. "Not to offend you or anything, however, I make it a point not to go on dates with total strangers from another country. So, I would have to decline your offer on a meal. Thank you though."

The Frenchman didn't seem very happy about that answer, but he nodded anyways. He took a quick drag and sighed. "Very well. I apologize for staring at you."

"It's fine. Really, it's fine." Arthur gave a faint, last attempt at a smile and went to turn around, when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked back, a bit confused.

"How about, instead, you give me your phone number?" He questioned with an almost shy smile. "Since you won't go out on a date with me, how about I just get your phone number? We could call each other and get to know one another. And if we still care for another and you're ever in Paris, or I am ever in whatever place you call home, we will meet up and enjoy a date then. What do you think?"

Arthur thought about it with a smile. It was just a phone number. No harm could come from giving another person his phone number. "Alright then. Do you have a piece of paper I could use?"

The server got out his notebook where he wrote down the orders and handed him the pen. He took another quick drag, before smashing the top of the cigarette and throwing it away. Arthur smiled as he write down the phone number and handed it back to him. It would now be up to the Frenchman to call him.

"I will be in France for another week, so don't call before. I don't want to get home and explain why a Frenchman is calling the house and asking for me, please." He said with a smile.

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of it." He smiled back at him, just as sweet and just as kind. "Mon cher, what is your name? You never told me?"

Arthur blushed a bit. With his small knowledge of French, he knew just what that meant. He cleared his throat and looked up to meet his eyes. "My name is Arthur Kirtland. And yours?"

The server smiled and took his hand, kissing it every so sweetly. "Francis Bonnefoy, at your service."


	2. First Times

It was such a brief meeting. A simple exchange of phone numbers in a time where gays were still practically hidden away in the closet and talk of marriage was something that was not spoken of. However, the phone numbers turned into weekly calls. Where Arthur would lock his door and take the call, smiling as Francis spoke to him and Arthur would correct his English. Arthur laughing at his little jokes and his visions of their future together. He would continue on and on with them. Finding out that they could get married and the phone call where Francis would propose. Raising children together and no one staring at them oddly. Arthur loved these promises. He would make his own jokes and make his own promises, of course, but hearing Francis make them made his heart warm up.

Francis lived alone at this point. Being three years older than Arthur, he had no one to tell him that these phone calls were wrong and needed to be stopped. Arthur tried to explain to his father that Francis was just a friend that he met in France and wanted to continue communication between him, however his father didn't buy that excuse. Francis stopped calling him and whenever his father would leave the house for the local pub, Arthur would quickly call Francis and hang up when he heard the old car pull up the driveway. It was hard, but they managed. His mother was clearly alright and was just happy Arthur found someone.

After around three years of dating, emails and phone calls, even a summer visit to France, Francis finally came to England to visit for a couple of weeks. He stayed in an inn and Arthur showed him around and introduced him to his friends. He stated that Francis was a family friend visiting, not his lover. His barely could come out to his parents, there was no way that he would randomly tell his friends that he liked men. They would try to avoid him in fear of Arthur trying to molest him.

That visit, Francis proposed. It was almost dark out and they had just gone to dinner together. They were walking through a park and Francis kept making sweet comments that made Arthur blush. Saying how much he loved him and how much he would never let the other go. When they got to a bench, he saw Arthur down and asked for his hand. Arthur, of course, said yes. He felt overjoyed that Francis proposed. Sure, they wouldn't be able to actually get married, but they could still live a happy life and act like a married couple. A sheet of paper or not, they were married in each other's eyes.

Instead of a wedding, they had a small party with one another. Both wearing nice clothes and they went out to a very fancy party, and then a club to dance for a while. And then to a bathroom stall and made out to music. They would have went farther, but Francis wanted their first time in a home instead of a dirty bathroom stall in the men's restroom. Once that was over, they got an inn-and a few stares from the ladies working at the counter-and watched shows and cuddled with desserts for the rest of the night.

A year after being married, both men decided it was time to try and adopt. Arthur always wanted kids and Francis was the same. They couldn't adopt together, of course. One would be the actual legal guardian and the other would just be a person that lived with them in the eyes of the legal system. But them, and the children, they both would be parents.

Francis talked about getting an older child for now. Save a teenager from the foster system and such. However, Arthur wanted a baby to raise like a real parent instead of starting off with a teenager. Francis agreed, only if Arthur promised that after they raised the baby, they could adopt a teen.

Three months into a search for a child, and the couple were about to give up. They had even tried for getting a child in a place like China or even Russia and nothing worked. Arthur was about to give up in that short time, seeing as how little to nothing worked. It wasn't until they got a call from America, stating that there were two little boys in need of adopting. After faxing over their paperwork and information, Francis fell in love with them. They were adorable. The eldest was called Alfred and the younger one was Matthew.

it took a lot of paperwork and a couple of meets with the young boys social worker for things to get filed. They would be just foster parents for a year until the real adoption process could go through. Sadly, because they were both men they couldn't both adopt them both. It was a simple toss of the coin when Arthur got Alfred and Francis got Matthew. It wasn't to say that either men preferred the child that they got. On the contrary they loved both boys equally. However, it was because of the damn system of homophobia that one had to take one and the other had to take the other. It wasn't fair, but it had to be done.

The boys were given over to the French and Englishman. Both were now six months old and tumbling in attempt to start walking and tried to form words to speak. Francis thought it was the cutest thing in the world and showered them with gifts and toys. Arthur always tisked when he did such things, but they were too cute not to shower with such affections.

When Matthew was around three, he had his first asthma attack. He was running around trying to follow his big brother when it happened. Francis was off working and Arthur was doing the dishes in the sink. Alfred screamed loudly, causing Arthur to almost break something as he rushed in. He called Francis, told him what was going on, and then took Matthew to the hospital.

From that point on the parents had to be very careful of what went on with Matthew. It started to get worse as time went on, but the doctors assumed that it was simply asthma and told Arthur and Francis to not let him run and put him on medication. And it worked.

For now.

* * *

Arthur woke to his alarm clock ringing out so loud that he was surprised that he was not deaf when he pulled from his slumber. He yawned, rubbing his eyes as he tried to get up. He was tired and this was much too early to be awake. But this was a very, very. special day.

"Francis, wake up," Arthur said. The Frenchman just snored on until Arthur hit him with a pillow. He quickly shot up and looked around.

"What is it? What is going on-?" He broke off into French as he looked around. When he saw no fire, no screaming child, and no blood, his heart stopped pounding and he laid back down with a groan. "Why did you wake me up?"

"We have to get the kids up. Remember?" Arthur muttered and stood. "First day of school. We have to get the kids ready to go."

Francis nodded. His babies were growing up too quickly. Already going to school to get an education. Before he knew it, he would be an old man with his boys having their own careers. That thought alone made him shiver with a bit of fright.

"Are you sure they are ready to go?" Francis was the worrywart of the duo. "Did you tell the teacher, nurse, and the principal about Matthieu's condition? And made sure that the boys would stay with each other?"

Arthur sighed. "Francis. Calm down please. They will be just fine, I assure you of this. Relax before you freak out, please. No use in scaring the children right before school." He got out his clothes and started to change, no longer bothered by the constant staring from Francis. "I'll wake them up and get them ready for school. You make them breakfast. Or you could wake them up and I could co-"

Francis scrambled to get up. He would not send his children to school with Arthur's cooking. That would be child abuse. His cooking would kill the poor things.

"I shall cook. No need to worry about that." He gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then rushed to start breakfast. Making pancakes and toast. Matthew adored pancakes and Alfred would pretty much eat whatever was in front of him. It was a win win either way.

Arthur smiled. He shook his head with a snort and went to wake up the boys. Matthew was sleeping peacefully and Alfred was snoring. With a gentle shake he got the boys awake with a smile. "Matthew. Alfred. Time to get up. It's your first day of school."

"School!?" Alfred shot up with a smile and jumped down from the bunk. Arthur had warned him many times on not doing that or he'll break something important. Alfred, being the little five year old boy that he was, didn't listen and went over to his brother. "Mattie! Mattie wake up! We gots school!"

"We have school," Arthur correct. Matthew woke up from the yelling with a cute yawn. He rubbed his violet eyes and yawned again. He was always yawning.

Matthew nodded and sleepily got out of bed and hugged his father. "Daddy," he would always do that first thing in the morning. He would want a hug from both parents or it totally messed up his day. He would be agitated, even for Matthew, and whined. Arthur picked him up and kissed his cheek sweetly.

"School, Matthew. Now come on, let's get you and Al ready for school, okay?"

Matthew smiled and nodded. It was so cute how they were excited to learn and get an education finally. Arthur had to remind himself that in a few years, things would change and they would be begging not to go to school. 'Enjoy the moments while I can,' Arthur thought.

After getting the boys dressed into their new clothes that had been hanging in the closet for over two weeks now, Arthur herded them into the kitchen to eat. Francis was already cooking in the kitchen. Pancakes for Matthew and Alfred, with tea and toast for Arthur and Francis. Matthew had taken up a fondness for pancakes and would ask for them whenever he could. Francis couldn't say no to him. Who could say no?

Breakfast was soon finished and out the door they went. They decided not to take the car today. They had time to get to school and Arthur wanted to spend more time with the boys. He was happy to have the house to himself and get some work done, but he would miss his boys.

It didn't take long before they arrived. They found the classroom and the other children in there. It seemed like a nice bunch. Playing with toys and waiting for the actual school day to start. Arthur and Francis hugged their boys and kissed their foreheads. "You two be good little boys, you understand? Do what the teacher says stay close to each other. Look out for each other," Arthur said.

"We will Daddy!" Alfred said and hugged him again. "Bye bye!"

Arthur chuckled and kissed his forehead again. Francis was hugging Matthew, whispering soothing French words into his ear. Matthew had liked the language and was currently learning it. Just small words so it wouldn't mess up him learning English. Arthur could already see getting calls about this. He tried to stop Francis but words alone didn't do much.

"We'll see you both when school is over. You be good boys and have a great day," Arthur said. After one more round of hugs and kisses, the boys were left to face their first year of schooling alone.

* * *

From The Writer:

So...hi. I know I kinda promised this chapter like, a month ago. And I know this chapter is kinda short and kinda bad, but hey, it's out there, right?

I promise that I'll try harder to get these chapters out weekly or biweekly. Next chapter might be kinda weird. This was the farthest I got in my last story and the planning is kinda iffy. I'm trying. It's summer and chapters should be posted more often. When school comes back around...not so much. I'll be in student council, drama club, and A.P classes and the last thing on my mind will sadly be this fanfic. I will try my best though to get it done. I'll really try this time. My other stories will probably go down the drain as it took all my strength to simply finish this one. I am trying my best.

Thank you all for reading. Please favorite it and leave a review. More reviews actually help me write by knowing that you guys like it. Thank you again! Bye!


End file.
